The Lost Chapter
by Amethyst Soul
Summary: Sorry it took so long to get Part 3 up. The concluding part to "The Lost Chapter"... a more finalized ending to the story. Takes place after the boys finally got on the ship and away from that island. PG for mild violence and language.
1. Part I

Story: Lord of the Flies  
  
Author of Original Story: William Golding  
  
Title: Chapter 13: "Immortal Beast"  
  
Rating: PG, for mild violence and language  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Flies. I wouldn't want to. I also don't own any of the characters that were in the book. I do however own my made up characters, which would include Tom, and the dolphins. THE DOLPHINS ARE MINE!!! Hahahaha- okay, okay, you can use the dolphins in your stories. But you'll have to call their agent. They're really picky about things like that.  
  
  
  
Chapter 13: Immortal Beast  
Part I  
  
Ralph peered out across the blue body, the golden flicks of the sun casting a sliver of a blaze into his eye, and forcing him to shield against it with his hand. There were few clouds, and the storm from the night before made the atmosphere all the brighter, but at least clear. He breathed in deeply, coils of fresh air, garnished with salt, keeping his throbbing headache from bother him too much. The waves flung themselves into the side of the huge warship, and showers of whitewash came with the same kind of force onto the deck.  
"She's beautiful, 'en't she?" the sudden coarse voice bothered Ralph and he did not respond. "There's nothin' like her." The officer walked up and stood by Ralph, his perfection of appearance still not altered by the disturbing agitation of the quivering monster of a cruiser.  
Ralph nodded quietly and crossed his arms, grainy with goosebumps that protected him from the whiplash of the wind, as well as raw from the peeling burnt, dead skin. He continued to look out at the ocean. Yes, she was.  
"Stubborn to keep the silence filled, the officer went on. "Yes, just wait till you see this lugger blow those brutes right out of the water! Show 'em who's boss."  
Ralph glanced shyly at the officer, glad that he had chosen not to say anything in the first place after the first comment was made. He returned to the dream-world under the sky.  
"Still upset about your chaps I presume?"  
"Maybe."  
The officer, looking more determined than crestfallen, went on. "Have you at least given 'em a proper burial?"  
Ralph gazed into his palms, feeling the sun burn his face even more now. He began to welcome the annoying flicks of pearly gold sea against his face. "Didn't have the time." He closed his eyes for a moment and thought back. Did he have the time? After the dance... they were putting themselves together... and there were only four at the time...  
A long resonation thundered across the skiff, and Ralph's muscles received a chock from it's unexpected arrival. He turned and glared at the horns, mounted up high on poles, two of them turned directly his way.  
"Come. We've got to keep our strength up."  
Ralph diffidently pushed himself away from the icy metal bar and shadowed the officer into one of Ralph's most loathed sections of the ship. Conspicuous and unconcealed fro any isolation, he stood his place in line.  
"Ralph, right?"  
Ralph looked at the officer, not being able to help observe the dark lining against the officer's brow. He nodded.  
"The name's Thomas. Tom is fine."  
Tom looked down at the young boy, so oddly quiet, as if he'd been neglected and beaten. Hesitant to open, and even more to just spend time around people. A palpitation of memory closed in on Tom's mind, and he remembered his boy at home, maybe a few years younger than this one.  
"I've got drill after lunch, so I will see to it that you're alright later," the officer said, grabbing a bowl of grey mush, which looked all too appetizing to absolutely no one. Ralph hesitated, glanced at the officer- Tom- and did the same.  
"You run along now to your friends. They'll be glad to see you." The officer headed the other direction, to where his own companions sat. Ralph, glancing ashamedly as his personal space was filled with intruders, pushing in from all sides. With a sharm 'move it!' from one of them, Ralph quickly shoved his way into the dank and stale tables and sat down carefully, it's creaking giving a small warning as though it might fall apart at any moment.  
Ralph held up the spoon, coated with the grey irregular mush, and pushed it away.  
"It's not so bad-"  
"-so's long you ask for a bit of sugar."  
The sudden comments weren't uncanny at all. Ralph looked up, relieved to have this intrusion. "Hullo."  
Samneric took their seats across from him, reluctant but still lapping up their portion. "Not like back there-"  
"-not so good. But it's better-"  
"Here."  
"Yes," Ralph agreed, understanding.  
"So you talk to Jack-"  
"Yet?"  
"No." The indication was not meant to be brutal, yet was. Ralph focused more attention on the creamy rocks which arose like goosebumps on the mush rather than the soupy brew itself, half expecting wisps of curling smoke to rise out of it as it began to bubble and finally burst into flames. Nothing happened, of course, except for the sudden slide of one of the chunks as it skated across the concoction.  
The twins finished theirs and refused Ralph's. Ralph took this time to look out among the many tables. Jack was sitting in a well populated table, still busy playing with his own portion. Ralph stood up.  
"Come on."  
The twins stood up as well and followed Ralph as he walked away quickly, his palms stiffening as he passed by Jack. Out of the corner he saw Jack take a quick glance at his arch rival, then return to the conversation he had previously focused his attention on. He secretly wished he knew what Jack was thinking about him now.  
"Where are we going?" the twins asked in chorus.  
"To the barracks."  
"What?"  
"For?"  
"For what we should've done a long time ago."  
Back at the dining hall, Jack grinned across the rickety table. He stood up, and Roger stood as well. "Where are you going, Jack?"  
Jack turned. "Don't come with me." Then he descended out, down a long, dark corridor, following the bubbling, inquisitive voices and the one dark, lone, deep one that answered them.  
Roger gazed at the back of his companion, the no longer idolized leader, until it disappeared within the darkness.  
  
  
  
Part II will be coming soon...  



	2. Part II

"Watch it!"  
"Shhhh-"  
"-hhhhhhh."  
"Shutup and keep looking."  
"We can't-"  
"-see anything."  
"Then used your hands!" An irritated crease mark appeared on Ralph's forehead, so pale then that not even in the sun they would have been able to see it. But it would be sure to appear darker in his later years.  
It was later. After Ralph had scaled the ship to look for the perfect place, he and Samneric wandering around until it was dark and everybody had gone to bed. Now it was time. He stooped down, fumbling over all sorts of damp woolen things that stank with the aroma of sweat and were most likely infested with at least a few creatures per item. His hand swept the dust off the damp floor and onto the clothes until he came upon the surprisingly cold, smooth object, and held it up with his thumb and index. To be sure, he rubbed his hand over the smooth part of the object. It was cracked, and at one point his skin latched on to the sharp ends of it, until he was able to rip it away.  
"Found it."  
Samneric stopped and looked up at Ralph, with two eyes of moon from their spot near the wall of the room. "Time?"  
"Yet?"  
"Yes."  
Ralph moved on and was trailed by the twins, still confused and feeling left out. But since no one knew more than the other, it caused no need for a sudden burst of question. They waited until they were outside, once again in the cast of the moonlight, before turning to Ralph again.  
"Eh, Ralph? You-"  
"-still haven't told us why-"  
"-we're out here."  
"For the death of Simon and Piggy. For everything that that evil boy has done and for the evil we all were forced into."  
"A-"  
"-burial?"  
"Splendid."  
Ralph gave a half-effort smile. "Tom gave me the idea."  
"Tom?" one of them said. For the time being, it was not important that they hadn't chorused the word.  
"The officer who rescued us."  
"Oh!"  
"I like him."  
"Me too."  
The twins looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to Ralph. They had walked barefooted and were surprised that all were still standing. Eric took this time to push his twin, and in a fit of giggles the two came crashing down.  
"Right on your-"  
"Bum!"  
"Will you two be quiet?!" Ralph snapped. He kneeled down, immediately sorry for the outburst, not for saying it, but for the way it was said. "No one may hear us. The others 'll just laugh." His hands began to work with the same intimate focus Jack used to have when he worked with the pig, flying all at the same moment. He had held up the two sticks that had been blown onto the ship for reminiscence, planning to save it for some craft project his mother loved coming up with. Maybe he would see her again. Maybe he would think of it himself. But for now, he was putting it to a better, more creative use than he could have thought of.  
Jack angrily came by the door, peering out the clouded window but not daring to open it. In a last attempt to hear the conversation he went around and out another door, and by the time he came out they were already about to begin. He crept forward and stood under the shadows.  
Ralph was now standing over a cross made of sticks, an aurora of lightnight bugs crawling over a few points at the top. They froze when a sudden jolt shook the boat, and stayed for a while in that frozen position.  
Ralph wish he'd saved a flower as well, but he had no press and it would have looked awfully girlish. He also wish the conch had not been destroyed, but then with another thought would have rather it flung over the edge to shatter in a million pieces rather than Piggy when he'd hit the rocks. So with what he had, his tribute in front, his procession behind, he cleared his throat and began.  
"This wasn't s'posed to happed. We were s'posed to live on that island as happily as we could, like the first day. But things change. And two were killed because of it. Piggy... Simon... we truly miss you and we never wanted things to go this far. If only I could've stopped them... if only there was something I could've done... but it was all too late... and I-" his voice cracked. "And I'm sorry."  
A while ago, had he thought to have a proper burial when the two died, he would have cried. But that was the main reason he postponed even thinking to deeply about the death of the two. And that part of his life was over now. He had cried already, and left the deepest depth of his sorrows behind on the island, where fear had ruled them all.  
He stepped back, and in unison, Samneric stepped forward.  
"We'll really miss you guys-"  
"-because it was fun. We're sorry, Simon."  
"Cos we called you batty. And you-"  
"Piggy, cos we laughed at you. You both were..."  
"Fun to be around."  
"Yes. Lots of fun. And we're sorry-"  
"-to see you go."  
"Sorry."  
"Yes."  
Both the twins lowered their head at the same time, and a spray of water flushed their faces, helping them to breathe in deeply and calm down again. They realized now that Ralph was hovering over them and had his hand over each of their shoulders. The cross, now devoid of lightning bugs, stood still, wet, and looking like a simple pair of sticks. The glasses, dripping with beads of cloudy water, glimmered as it caught the cast of the moon.  
Jack continued to glare at them from the shadows and waited until they had solemnly walked back inside before descending out into the open light. They had left the project standing against a few wooden steps. It swayed in the churning of the boat, but did not move from it's spot.   
The dark shadow hovered overhead, superior to the small bundle of sticks and metal frame, but feeling rejected, for now he was not even respected as much as the stupid thing.  
"I want to tell you-" Jack coughed, ashamedly lowering his head, his cheeks burning and an eternal black flame kindling in his eyes. "This 'en't my fault, you hear me? You- Simon- YOU came out of the forest at night when we- they were all scared. And YOU Piggy you fat jerk you should've shut up! If you just woulda stayed behind Ralph, Roger wouldn't 'a thrown that rock on you! So... yes. That's what you get. You both deserved it for being stupid. This wasn't my fault! Ralph," he said with a sneer, "Ralph shouldn't 've said that it was my fault because it wasn't! None of this was my fault! If it was anyone's at all it would've been Ralph's 'cos he should've protected you both, that's what a leader does! He should've stopped us when we were dancing- he should've stood in the way or pushed you out of it!" Jack was now rubicund of face and panting like he had been claustrophobic with too much of the facade of truth. This would be much easier with his paint. He wished he could have it now, but that would be impossible. Plus, carrying leaves filled with paint onto the ship might look desperate to the others, and he- he was once their leader. He was powerful, idolized, and even though things had changed, he was not going to lose his chance of still looking like the strong, capable ruler that he once was.  
He shivered, the ocean waters flinging themselves at his body as though it were bad for him to be there at the time. The lightning bugs were completely out of sight now, making their journey across the sea, back to their own warm land. Jack scowled at the pathetic little project of sticks and glass, but stayed where he was, until a creepy feeling of being watched overcame him. He spun around, and the eminence of the moon seemed to create a thin film of illustrious gleam over h is eyes. For a moment he felt as if he were back, and crouched low, feeling the warm heat curl up into the atmosphere like puffs of smoke, and breathing in the humid air. The leaves pricked his face, a few small bugs crawled up his leg, and his nose itched, but he stayed frozen, his arm to the sky, feeling the weight of the lagging wooden stick in the upper part of his arm. He stood that way until a sudden thrash jerked his arm, and adrenaline pulsated thought his blood as he thrust forward, pumping his legs and attacking the being that moved through the forest ground. He blinked as the scene slowly melted away, and everything in exact contrast appeared before him. There was no sun, or warmth, or forest. He was out in the middle of nowhere, under the close eye of the moon and the frozen wind chill blowing over him. He blinked again and stood up, looking around to make sure no one had been there to see his ridiculous act. For another moment he felt something watching him, and, after glancing back over his shoulder, shouting, "It wasn't my fault!" at the sticks and glasses that seemed to only shake left to right and chuckle at his foolishness, he ran back into the shadows and the door he had come from, leaving the outside void of his presence.  
  
Part III is on it's way ^.^! 


	3. Part III

  
"I told you, it's completely destroyed. Even the ocean couldn't 've done such a thing. It might've washed it all away, but not done this to it."  
"Really?"  
"No way."  
"We can't-"  
"-believe it."  
"Here, I'll show you."  
Ralph stood up and led the way. Outside, it felt colder than the night before, but only because they had snuggled so tightly under their clothes and the thin, starched sheets that had been given to them. They had put on the pants that the officers had loaned to them (which were all to big and had to be rolled up at the ankles), but not even that stopped the cold from shattering through.  
The eerie shade of the night was no longer as ghastly, and now as the pale yellow sun began to peek over the dark, bejeweled sky and start an array of colors, they came upon the destroyed figure.  
The sticks had been snapped in two, and peices of glass were strewn around the deck. No doubt most of the reminants of the glasses had already fallen into the ocean. Sam lifted up his foot as a peice latched onto it; Eric helped take it out. Ralph picked up the wire freams, which had been bent beyond recognition, and then he gathered the sticks that had been carelessly flung aside.  
"See?"  
"Who could've-"  
"-Done such a thing?"  
Ralph gave them a 'look', and they nodded with dull senses, tired of everything always being *his* fault.  
"I'll deal with him. You two make sure he doesn't try to pull a move."  
"But-"  
"-Ralph? He'll hurt you-"  
"He has no power now," Ralph cut in. "His followers are going to do nothing and he can't do much because of the officers here."  
"You sure?"  
"Positive. I've got to set things straight before Jack goes back and starts to run amuck. Probably grow up to be some facist dictator if we don't take care of him now. We can't make him feel as though he has any power over us anymore. Once we take his feeling of power away, we've destroyed him. He won't be able to do anything to anyone after that."  
They walked inside. Most of the boys were still asleep, and those that were awake were only halfway there. Ralph knelt down by Jack's pillow, waiting until Jack became more aware of his presence. The hunter's eyes flung open at the quick snap of movement, and before he could do anything an icy, strong hand was pushed against his esophagus and wrapped around his wiry neck. Jack grabbed the arm that was holding him and pushed against it to sit up, only to meet the eyes of his glaring enemy.  
"What the-"  
Ralph shoved Jack down against the floor, and the hunter's head bounced at the impact as it collided with the surface.   
"Now you listen here Jack Merridew. I'm going to say this once and you'd better listen. I'm not going to resort to killing or any more unnecessary pain like you handle things. So I'm letting you go, and if you're not afraid of me you'll stand down and LISTEN."  
"I'm not afraid of you," Jack sneered. The cold hand was removed and he coughed roughly before wiping sleep from his eyes and clenching his fist, ready. "What the hell do you want?"  
"I'm tired of you ruining things for everybody. I'm tired of you leading us into death and destruction and I am tired of you trying to think that you're still leader! You're not- so stop trying to prove to everyone how tough you are."  
"What the hell 're you talking about?!"  
"You know what I'm talking about. Stop. It."  
"No, I don't know."  
Now there was a crowd of inquisitive boys circling around them, blinking their eyes and trying not to show how the loud voices were paining their morning ears. Sam and Eric stood behind Ralph, looking at Jack, cocking their heads.  
"I see what game you're trying to play. You're trying to make me say it. You want me to make a fool of myself in front of everyone. I'm onto you! You want me to say it so bad?! Fine! You destroyed the project we made for Simon and Piggy. Do you remember now?"  
"Oh, that thing." Jack casually unclenched his fist and relaxed his shoulders.  
"Yes! That thing! You remember Simon and Piggy, don't you? You remember how they were murdered because of YOU, don't you?"  
This sparked a flame of anger in Jack. Fuming, he jerked up and pushed Ralph back. Ralph fell, almost crushing Samneric under his weight. They pushed him up.  
"Stop it! I did not kill 'em!"  
"Yes you did, liar! Stop trying to cover it up! If you had never tried to make the group break up and go under your stupid, selfish rule nobody would've died!"  
"Shut up! Shut up! We all killed Simon- all of us! And Roger killed Piggy! You've should 've protected them, oh *leader*."  
"You just want to ruin everything for us! Now, all that we've doen to remember them has been destroyed because of you!"  
"Destroyed? What're you talking about?"  
"Stop trying to play innocent. I know you came out last night and destroyed the cross an' glasses. Only me and Samneric now about it- I didn't tell YOU."  
"I went out last night and saw you making that stupid thing but I did not destroy it!"  
"Then who did?!" Ralph screamed. "WHO DID?!"  
The silence that suddenly filled the room was deafening. Everyone was awake now. Ralph and Jack still held their fists clenched, now so far apart that nothing could bring them back except themselves. Ralph held up the bent glasses and Jack looked at it as if he had never set eyes on it.  
"Piggy's glasses?" a look of confused recognition crossed his face.  
"Stop being naive you-"  
"Hey, hey stop!" the door burst open and Tom stood there wearing pants and a dirty white undershirt. His face was smeared creamy white and his hair was reaching toward the ceiling. It would have been funny had it not been for the serious aura that settled about the room. "What's going on here?"  
"That... that crazy fool was blaming me for destroying his stupid-"  
"It's not stupid!" Samneric yelled.  
"Ralph?" Tom looked down at the boy as if he were reprimanding his own. "What happened?"  
Ralph looked down, his hair falling over his eyes, then back up at Tom. "I took up your idea and made... something... for Simon and Piggy. I left it on the deck over night and... when I went out there this morning it was destroyed."  
"Did it ever cross your mind that it might have been the ocean."  
Ralph held up the glasses. "The ocean couldn't 've done this."  
Tom inspected the glasses carefully and then nodded, handing them back over to Ralph. "Well then, how are you sure it was your friend over here that did it?" he nodded toward the small, freakled boy with the dusty red hair.  
"Because he's always ruinin' everything," Ralph shouted, suddenly. "He was the one that drove everybody to kill my friends and he-"  
"It wasn't my fault! They were both at the wrong place at the wrong time!"  
"You took over as leader! DId anybody die when I was leader?"  
A spark of memory suddenly came to Jack in his anger. "Yes- yes that little mul-"  
But Ralph had already closed his mind to all else that may be true. "No! Was anyone driven to violence? No! It was you and your stupid idea of being a hunter!"  
"Listen. Both of you. Be Quiet. The captain hates disturbances and may as well throw you off board if you bother him. So leave your differences for later."  
The boys stood up, glaring at each other, the thick cloud of emnity brewing a storm in between them. Tom left and the group of other boys disperesed, some returning to sleep and the others walking aimlessly about, bored as the action died down. Ralph stood up himself and walked out, turning his back on Jack. The twins, still looking at Jack with slight confusion on their faces, turned and followed.  
***********************************************  
Ralph stood, his arms hanging over the edge of the icy bar. When the ship lurched and tilted low on the other side, he grasped it tight and the skin on his arms, at times, even stuck to the bar itself. He always managed to rip it off, feeling little because it was only dead skin that was removed.  
As the ship glode over the water Ralph gazed out, feeling the flicks of sun against his face. He pushed his hair out of the way, hoping that today would be the day that Tom had promised would come: when he would get his hair cut. Tom was not rushing. "Besides," the officer had said. "It's that tangled mop that keeps your head warm at night." Ralph didn't care. He wanted to purge himself of any remanants of being savage.  
Under a single white puff the ocean broke and a slick grey fin rose out, gliding at the same speed of teh ship. A hole appeared an inch in front of the fin and smoky air splurted out. A high-pitched squeal followed, then both the fin and the hole disappeared under the waters. Ralph waited, hopeful, and as soon as the figure seemed to drift away, it sprang back up again with a sudden rush of water that sent a spiral of whitewash into Ralph's face. He laughed and stepped back as he was showered with a display like no other.  
The dolphin played by the side of the large metal fish, the one that swam much slower than she, but still held her interest. She nuzzled by it's cold grey wall and then was off again, leaping toward the sky, outjumping the big fish by what seemed a mile. She sqealed in delight and threw a burst of speech to her new companion, but it seemed strangely quiet as it continued to glide over the water. A sudden acute echo burst into the sky, and this sent her a strange sensation of happiness, because it had responded, though she could not understand it's words. A long, bubbling voice from below told her it was time to leave. For one final goodbye to the big friend, she flung herself as high into the sky as she possibly could, higher than she'd ever been before, until it seemed she was one with the sky and would disappear into the bright ray of the sun. Then with a flash of a tail she flopped back into the water with a great splash!, crashing into the ocean, where she swam deep, never to see that particular big fish, again.  
"Yes, it is beautiful," he said aloud to no one.  
Ralph smiled and leaned over the side, thinking 'goodbye' as the dolphin disappeared under the depths. A school of silver fish swam in a swarm together, glittering against the sun, and disappearing as well. Ralph leaned back and returned to his dream world across the sea.  
"It wasn't my fault you know."  
Ralph hadn't been aware of the figure that joined him by the water's edge, and silently he hoped that the statement he'd made earler hadn't been heard. He remained quiet, pretending to remain in his world, but listened. That was all that was needed.  
"I didn't do it. I went out there last night and felt something... watching me... and you know how it is." Jack leaned over the side with his arms hung casually over as well.  
"If you didn't do it, then who did?" Ralph asked coldly.  
"One of my hunters?"  
Ralph snorted. "I doubt it."  
"You know... you have always underestimated them," Jack took a menacing glance at his rival.  
"Yes. And look at what they are capable of now that you've forever changed them."  
Jack sighed. "I know you're upset about Piggy and Simon-"  
"Upset?" Ralph gave a laugh not at all meant to be friendly. "I am upset that this war is going on. I'm upset that things are the way they are. But I am far too angry and depressed to be just upset about what you did, Jack Merridew."  
"I didn't do it alone!"  
"You led them. If you didn't exhist, none of this would have every happened."  
"You can never get rid of people like me, Ralph. If I didn't exist? So what? There are a million other people out there who would've done the exact same thing. You can't just wish I didn't exist, because I AM everyone. If I didn't exist, neither would humanity. I'm everywhere you don't want to be, I'm obvious, I'm hidden, I'm only partly there, but I'm there and that is all that matters."  
Seeing the look on Ralph's appalled face Jack stopped for a moment.  
"But even still, I... I'm sorry."  
Ralph paused, and then continued. "A while ago... if we'd been under the warmth of the island, and we were together, and things hadn't changed, I would have accepted that. But, cheif, ou may or may not have killed those two directly, but you sure as hell influenced it. And it doesn't matter if there are a million other Jack's out there, what matter's is that YOUR here and you are the one to have changed everything."  
Jack, abashed, said nothing and began to escape to the same dream world Ralph had been in earlier. Then, after what felt like hours, "Things'll never be the same again, will they?"  
Ralph stood up, straightening his position. "I believe you."  
"What?"  
"I believe you. If you'd destroyed that dedication project, you'd 've been proud of it."  
"...sort've like with the big."  
"Yes," Ralph blinked, surprised they had began to see face to face on something in this universe. To balance it out, he said, "Yes... exactly like with the pig."  
"Then... who did it?"  
"Someone." Ralph was feeling drowsy, as the warmth and the rocking of the boat began to lull him into sleep. He looked back at the main part of the ship, where everything seemed to have a cloudy emanance around it. "Maybe we won't know. But someone."  
Jack shifted his weight awkwardly and stood, facing Ralph as a lutenaint might to his inferior.  
Ralph looked at this position and laughed with tacit scorn, looking away. Then he stood as well. The occurences had too far set them apart, and as much Ralph hated to admit it, he nodded. "You're right, Jack. Things 'll never be the same again."  
Jack held out his hand. "We'll be rivals forever, you do know that."  
"I know. Maybe we're meant to be so."  
"Maybe."  
"We'll see each other again?" Ralph didn't mean on the ship.  
"Sometime." The aeons began to tick away through the lost hope of each of their minds.  
"But not..."  
"Yes."  
Jack shook his rival's hand. "Goodbye Ralph."  
Ralph took a moment to gaze out where his dream world lay. The sky was brighter there, the grass a more vibrant shade of lime, the earth soft and warm as he remembered it. A shadow stold into view and slithered across the scape above, crouched, prowling, ready to strike at any moment. Ralph broke away from this place, finally looking through the menacing eyes of his once close friend. These eyes were different. They had changed, but in a way he could not perceive. Not just yet. Ralph peered into the deep shades, clouded with a coerving anvil thunder. He then apprehensively returned the shake. "Goodbye Jack Merridew."  
Jack turned and walked away, their two dream worlds having been crossed and left behind.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
